The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Expected Family Contribution as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process and college student persistence to graduation at Ball State University.The population for this study was defined as 3,772 Ball State University full-time students who matriculated in the fall of 1995. The sample equaled the population. In response to the research question, the sample was divided into five subgroups (Full-Pell, Partial-Pell, No Pell-Need, No Pell-No Need, and No-FAFSA).It was determined that students at Ball State University with greater financial need (Full-Pell and Partial-Pell) persist and graduate at smaller rates than students in the other financial subgroups. In addition, students with high financial need are more likely to academically disqualify than other students. Statistically significant differences existed between the average rates for graduation and academic disqualification, and the graduation and academic disqualification rates for the Full-Pell and Partial-Pell groups. Institutions may need to determine if they are meeting the financial and academic needs of students from low-income families. / Department of Educational Leadership

This study attempted to determine if participants in admitted student programs at Ball State University matriculated and persisted at a greater rate and had more academic success than students who did not participate in admitted student programs.Students who participated in one or more admitted student programs matriculated at a greater rate (73.3%) than those who attended on-campus admissions programs (59.0%) and those who did not attend an admitted student program or an on-campus admissions program (42.7%). Matriculates who attended an admitted student program persisted into the second semester of study at a greater rate (93.9%) than those who attended no programs (77.5%), and had a higher mean grade point average in the fall semester (2.85/4.00) than those who attended no programs (2.58/4.00). / Department of Educational Leadership

A sample of 674 first-year student-athletes at Ball State University were examined for five consecutive years (2004-2008) to determine what combination of demographic, academic, and athletic variables best predicted first-year GPA and retention into the second year of college. The dependent variables of first-year GPA and retention were chosen because they are two primary components used to calculate the Academic Progress Rate, a semester by semester evaluation of team academic performance used by the NCAA (Christianson, 2004). Results revealed college student-athletes had a higher first-year GPA if they were female (r = .36), Caucasian (r = .36), attended college relatively close to their hometown (r = .09), scored well on standardized tests (r = .49), had a respectable high school GPA (r = .65), were ranked high in their graduating high school class (r = -.58), had a large high school graduating class (r = .15), declared a major upon entering college (r = -.11), were not a member of a revenue sport (r = .37), and earned a considerable amount of playing time (r = .15). Building on the relative strengths of those relationships, first-year GPA can be predicted by knowing gender (B = .16), race (B = -.26), standardized test scores (B = .03), high school GPA (B = .41), high school rank (B < -.01), and high school size (B < .01). The retention of student-athletes into their second year of college produced a slightly different set of relationships. Student-athletes were more likely to be retained if they were Caucasian (r = .16), attended college close to their hometown (r = .09), scored well on standardized tests (r = -.11), had a respectable high school GPA (r = -.14), were ranked high in their graduating high school class (r = .12), were not a member of a revenue sport (r = -.09), and earned a considerable amount of playing time (r = -.17). Predicting retention is possible with information about race (B = 1.09), distance from hometown (B = .4), type of sport (B = .82), and amount of playing time (B = -.70). / Department of Educational Leadership

The thesis compares student attrition rates in two UWS Schools for 2004 and 2005. It analyses possible reasons why students discontinue and identifies strategies and approaches to improving the quality of the teaching and learning environment for these students. The thesis focuses on the retention of first year students in the School of Engineering at the University of Western Sydney. Low retention rates are costly to the university, leading to inefficient use of resources, failure to fulfil student aspirations, and intervention between the university and the student. In each chapter, the thesis addresses student retention, satisfaction and performance and the interrelation between them and outlines the measures taken by the School of Engineering to improve these measurements for students commencing in 2006 and proposes many recommendations for further improvements in subsequent years. Each chapter addresses these issues by following the student pathway, commencing with the student leaving High School and entering their chosen university and course of study. At each stage, the relevant issues are addressed which have a direct or indirect impact on student retention, satisfaction and performance. Use is made of reports and papers published by universities and organisations, as outlined in the Literature Review. The research questions provide data through the results obtained from surveys. Typical Retention Rates are 75% for UWS, 81% for the Sector, 76% for the New Generation Universities (NGUs) and 62% for the School of Engineering on which this research is focussed. This thesis confirms the research from many countries that closely links student retention with the quality of teaching and learning. Key issues are: • a sound first year student orientation and welcome by staff; encountering efficient, effective and accurate student. The introduction of a more effective and tailored orientation program in 2007 attracted, at UWS School of Engineering, 92% attendance and greater awareness by the students of their study program and the available support services; • having student queries responded to promptly and effectively; The introduction of a First Year Coordinator in 2007 proved to be well received, with a significant number of students having prompt responses to their queries, as compared with previous years; clear expectations management about services and key academic issues like assessment; the marketing of UWS Engineering programs was addressed in 2006 and 2007, with an expansion of the marketing program operated for feeder schools and improved awareness of student expectations prior to entry: an ongoing exercise; having committed, accessible, responsive and capable teaching staff; the accessibility and responsiveness of teaching staff to first year student issues, as outlined in this thesis, is being addressed in 2007; receiving prompt and helpful feedback on their learning; an issue being addressed by the First Year Teaching Team as an essential element of the teaching and learning process; together with: effective use of an appropriate selection from a myriad of learning strategies and resources which give emphasis to active learning, practice oriented learning, peer supported learning and self-managed learning; supported by a reliable infrastructure and support systems; and consistently encountering staff that are responsive and committed to giving service to student support. Results suggest the following recommendations for improving the retention of first year students. Involve staff in retention measures: Streamline pre-enrolment information: Keep all student promises – e.g. in Unit Outlines and assessment plans: Identify high-risk students early: Cater for poor UAIs and maths/science: Minimise administrative barriers: Appoint a first-year mentor/coordinator: For First year Student Orientation, the student’s first exposure to the UWS campus: Aim for 100% attendance: Ensure user-friendliness: Address student expectations :Address aims of the Orientation program: Ensure all key staff easily available: Avoid information overload: Regularly review and modify the program on an annual basis: Ensure full academic-administrative liaison: Ease tutorial registration and offer instant online interactive timetable confirmation: Streamline induction information on a CD or a School web site: Adopt a team approach to teaching First Year Units: Consider alternative peer-mentor models: Strengthen academic mentoring: Ensure staff consultation availability: Regularly encourage prompt attendance and submission of assignments – a study discipline: Address travel problems: Address campus facilities: Promote learning skills awareness: Encourage students to seek help and: Follow up all student queries. / Master of Engineering (Hons.)

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-71). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Treatise (Ed. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (University of Texas Digital Repository, viewed on Sept. 9, 2009). Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-223).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Archbald Douglas, School of Education. Includes bibliographical references.

In South Africa there is an increasing concern regarding retention among Black students (who constitute the majority of the population) in general and in particular regarding the costs of student failure to both the students and for the institution. This thesis endeavours to obtain an understanding of the socio-educational experiences which led to Black Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Students in 2009 dropping out of Accounting III at the University of Fort Hare. In a field in which much of the literature is quantitatively orientated, a phenomenological investigation offered a unique way of understanding the experiences of the students as it allowed their voices to be heard. Insights contained in the data were synthesised and integrated into a consistent description of the essential nature of the experience, the primary endeavour of the phenomenologist being to transform naïve experience into more explicitly detailed conceptual knowledge. The use of in-depth interviews with three students, all of whom had dropped out of Accounting III at UFH, allowed the researcher interaction on a personal level with people not viewed as experimental objects but as human subjects. The findings revealed that the students‘ social and educational background, together with the language of teaching and learning not being their mother tongue, caused students great difficulty. Interaction between lecturers and students and the subject content proved very challenging due to the language barrier. The introduction of General Accounting III in the same class as Accounting III in 2009 compounded the students‘ confusion and this ultimately led to students feeling demotivated. These findings contributed significantly to an understanding of why these three students dropped out of Accounting III in 2009, and at the same time provided an answer to the research question relating to how Black students who dropped out of the Accounting III programme in 2009, experienced the course.